Peas Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

Global Peas Market Trends and Insights

Rising Demand from Plant-Based Protein Processors

Pea-protein isolate capacity is expanding faster than field-pea output, underpinning sustained premiums in the peas market. In November 2021, Roquette invested over CAD 600 million (approximately USD 450–600 million) to establish the world's largest pea protein plant in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. The facility has the capacity to process 125,000 metric tons of yellow peas annually^{[1]Source: Roquette, “Investor Relations - Capacity Expansion,” roquette.com}. The United States International Trade Commission's ruling insulating domestic processors from offshore isolates has funneled Canadian yellow peas into value-added channels, lifting spot prices in 2025. Collectively, these moves keep farm-gate prices upward and reinforce the growth trajectory of the peas market.

Feed Industry Reformulations Favoring Field Peas

Aquaculture and pet-food companies are displacing soybean meal with field peas to align with non-genetically modified labeling mandates. Salmon diets now include pea concentrate without compromising growth, cutting phosphorus discharge in Norway and Chile, where effluent caps tightened in 2024^{[2]Source: Wiley, “Alternative Protein Sources in Aquafeed,” wiley.com}. Grain-free pet food formulas continue to drive steady demand for pea starch, even following regulatory clarifications by the Food and Drug Administration. These formulas are particularly popular among pet owners seeking alternatives to traditional grain-based diets, further bolstering the market for pea starch. In the European Union, livestock integrators incorporate peas to meet protein-autonomy targets, supporting stable returns for Canadian and French growers, despite a reduction in acreage between 2021 and 2023. This reformulation trend redirects pea production into premium feed, strengthening the demand base for the peas market. Additionally, the use of peas in premium feed aligns with the growing focus on sustainable, high-quality livestock nutrition, thereby contributing to the long-term stability of the market.

Government Support Programs for Pulse Crops

Direct hectare payments and margin-insurance schemes are reversing two decades of pulse-acreage decline in North America and Europe, injecting predictability into a crop historically plagued by volatile returns. Canada's AgriStability program compensates producers for 70% of margin shortfalls when reference prices fall below five-year averages, a safety net that insulated growers when yellow-pea prices dropped in 2024-25. India's National Food Security Mission for Pulses extends subsidies for certified seed, bio-fertilizers, and micro-irrigation systems, targeting a 15% increase in domestic pea production by 2027 to reduce import dependency. Together, these incentives underpin the peas market’s projected growth.

Soil-Health Benefits Driving Crop-Rotation Adoption

Biological nitrogen fixation and carbon sequestration delivered by field peas are quantifiable enough to influence rotation economics even in the absence of direct subsidies, particularly where fertilizer costs remain elevated. Peas fix 40 to 80 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare annually through symbiotic rhizobia, reducing synthetic-nitrogen applications by 30% to 50% in subsequent cereal crops and lowering input costs by USD 60 to USD 100 per hectare. Carbon sequestration of 0.5 to 1.5 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent per hectare per season positions peas as a compliance tool for growers participating in voluntary carbon markets, where credits trade at USD 15 to USD 30 per metric ton.

Pest and Disease Pressure

Ascochyta blight slashed Saskatchewan yields by 18% in 2024 despite two fungicide passes, while aphanomyces root rot can persist for 10–15 years in infested soils^{[3]Source: Canadian Phytopathological Society, “Ascochyta Blight Management,” phytopath.ca}. Pea weevil infestations can reduce germination rates by up to 40% and may void export contracts requiring zero-tolerance thresholds. These infestations pose significant challenges for pea producers, impacting both domestic and international trade. Implementing eight-year rotation intervals and using resistant cultivars help mitigate these risks but increase opportunity costs, limiting short-term acreage expansion in the pea market. Additionally, adopting these measures requires careful planning and resource allocation, further influencing market dynamics.

High Farm-Gate Price Volatility

Canadian yellow pea prices declined by 12% between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 marketing years to an average of USD 405 per metric ton, primarily due to Russia's record harvest and its expanded market share in China. This decline reflects the competitive pressures from Russia's production and its ability to capture a larger share of the Chinese market. In 2024, Australian field pea prices fluctuated between AUD 450 (USD 292.5) and AUD 500 (USD 325) per metric ton, influenced by domestic supply conditions and global demand trends. Additionally, North American acreage is forward-contracted, leaving the majority of growers vulnerable to spot-market volatility. This exposure to price swings has hindered the growth of the peas market, as growers face challenges in managing financial risks and ensuring profitability.

*Our forecasts treat driver/restraint impacts as directional, not additive. The impact forecasts reflect baseline growth, mix effects, and variable interactions.

Geography Analysis

In 2025, North America accounted for 31.7% of the pea market share, driven by Canada's position as the world's second-largest exporter and the United States' increasing focus on domestic pea-protein processing. The construction of pea-protein facilities by Louis Dreyfus Company in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, during 2024-2025 highlights a strategic move toward value-added processing within production regions rather than exporting raw commodities. This development challenges Canada's traditional dominance and shifts trade flows toward Black Sea ports. Exporters face higher compliance costs due to maximum residue limits, which require discontinuing glyphosate pre-harvest desiccation. However, this also strengthens the premium positioning of traceable supply chains. The region's growth has been constrained by crop diseases such as ascochyta blight and aphanomyces root rot, which negatively impacted yields in Saskatchewan in 2024.

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing geography, with a 7.4% CAGR through 2031, propelled by aquaculture feed reformulation in China and India's drive to rebuild domestic pulse production. South America plays a modest role in global trade flows. In Brazil, farmers in Rio Grande do Sul are incorporating peas into wheat rotations but face challenges due to limited access to certified seeds. The integration of peas into crop rotations aims to improve soil health and diversify agricultural production. Argentina exports small volumes to the Middle East but experiences production losses due to inefficiencies in post-harvest handling, including inadequate storage facilities and outdated processing techniques. 

Europe held a moderate share in the pea market. The Middle East and Africa remain net importers. United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia trans-ship Canadian and Australian peas to South Asia and East Africa. South Africa’s stable production feeds domestic processors, while Ethiopia and Kenya suffer post-harvest losses due to cold-chain deficits. Accelerated investment in logistics is critical for unlocking the potential of the peas market across these deficit regions. Additionally, the lack of refrigerated transport reduces processing incentives, hindering the growth of the regional peas market and limiting its competitiveness in international markets.

Regulatory Landscape

Regulation in the peas market is shaped by food safety and quality standards, and by trade-defense measures affecting pea-derived ingredients. Codex Alimentarius standards, including CXS 171-1989 for certain pulses and CXS 041-1981 for quick frozen peas, act as common reference points across national systems. Country and regional requirements such as China’s GB/T 10460-2008 (quality and classification for peas) and the East African Community’s EAS 759:2011 (dry whole peas) also support harmonized specifications in commercial trade.

Trade measures have become a pricing and compliance variable for exporters. In December 2025, the European Union adopted Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2581 to register imports of high-protein pea protein (above 65% protein) from China, increasing scrutiny on cross-border ingredient flows. In India, the import policy for yellow peas maintained a 30% tariff through March 31, 2027, keeping landed-cost sensitivity high for global suppliers and tying trade volumes to domestic crop outcomes and policy settings.

Value Chain Analysis

The value chain spans input suppliers (seed, crop protection, inoculants), growers, local aggregators and grain handlers, cleaning and storage, processors (splitting, milling, starch and protein fractionation), and downstream users across food manufacturing, feed (aquaculture and pet food), and ingredient channels. Integrated processors and merchandisers, including AGT Food and Ingredients, Roquette, and Cosucra, alongside North American contracting models used by companies such as PURIS and Ingredion, link farmgate supply to identity-preserved and non-GMO specifications demanded by food and ingredient customers.

Operational bottlenecks are concentrated at segregation, compliance, and logistics nodes, particularly where food-grade collection and testing infrastructure is limited and where residue limits restrict common practices (including discontinuing glyphosate pre-harvest desiccation for shipments into tighter markets). The chain is also sensitive to bilateral tariff moves and rerouted trade flows, reflecting Russia’s expanded presence in China’s import mix and the parallel push for traceable, contract-based supply. As field-pea volumes shift away from commodity feed channels toward protein processing, availability tightens for traditional buyers and raises the importance of storage, quality assurance, and processor-adjacent origination in major exporting regions.

Market Opportunities and Future Outlook

Value-added processing continues to be the key growth opportunity, as pea-protein and starch fractionation expands faster than field-pea output in major producing regions. Completed and underway investments provide specific anchors for this pull-through dynamic. Roquette’s Portage la Prairie facility (125,000 metric tons per year of yellow peas processing capacity) and Louis Dreyfus Company’s Yorkton, Saskatchewan pea protein commissioning activity strengthen processor demand for identity-preserved, contract-grown peas that meet residue and non-GMO requirements. In parallel, product-level changes that improve taste and functionality, such as neutral-tasting isolates, support higher inclusion rates in plant-based dairy and meat formulations, expanding the addressable base beyond commodity channels.

On-farm and agronomy innovation is another actionable focus area, given the market’s exposure to pest pressure and weather volatility. 2026 agronomic research points to sowing-time optimization and targeted nutrition or biostimulant programs that better match processor needs for consistent protein and functional profiles, not only yield. In emerging deficit regions, cold-chain and post-harvest handling gaps keep losses high for value-added pea products, so investment in storage, cleaning, and distribution infrastructure supports local processing and gives importers and trans-shippers in the Middle East and Africa more room to move from bulk trade into higher-margin formats.